Hop-picking machine



(No'Model.) Y 3 Sheets-Sheet 2. J. A. WHITNEY. HOP PIGKIANG MACHINE.

No. 536,675. Patented Apr. 2, 1895.

3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

Patented Apr. 2, 1.895.

x f r (No Model.)

J. A. WHITNEY. vHOP PIGKING MACHINE.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFETCE..l

JAMES A. WHITNEY, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

HOP-PICKING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 536,675, dated April 2,1895. Application filed May 31,1894.. Serial No. 512,961. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom, it 'may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES A. WHITNEY, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of NewYork, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hop-PickingMachines; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear,and exact description of the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, makingA a part of this specication, in which-Figure l is a vertical longitudinal sectional view; Fig. 2, a plan viewand Fig. 3 a front view of an apparatus made according to my invention.Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse sectional view and Fig. 5 is a verticallongitudt nal sectional view illustrating other and additional parts ofmy said invention. Fig. 6 is a plan View illustrating the manner inwhich certain combinations of parts included in my said invention may,when desired, be multiplicated for simultaneous use in one and the samemachine. Figs. 7 to l0 inclusive, are detail views, on alarge scale,still further illustrating my said invention.

This invention is designed to provide an efficient means for pickinghops; in other words, for detaching hops from the hop-bearing material,bines, stems, branches, the., on which they are grown.

The invention comprises 'certain new and useful combinations ofparts andinstrumentalities Where-by said object is effectually attained.

Referring first more particularly to Figs. l, 2, 3 and 6, A, is a tixedcylindrical bearing or"` support. As shown in the drawings -thiscylinder is hollow, open at one or both ends, and at one side is open orprovided with an opening, a. Placed in this cylinder at the opening, a,are two drawing rolls, B. Placed loose upon the cylinder and movableabout the axis thereof are two rings, O, which have a space, h, betweenthem. This space is of such a width as to permit the insertion throughit of the hop-bearing bines, stems, branches, &c., from which the hopsare to be detached, but not of sufficient width topermit the hops topass through. The rings run in suitable guides provided upon thecircumference of the cylinder. Thus, for example, as shown in Fig. 2 acentralspline, a7, serves as a guide to the inner edges of the rings anddetermines the Width of the space, b, between the rings, while twooutside splines, o7, serve as guides for the outer edges of the rings.It is of course manifest that the guides must be so proportioued andarranged as not to interfere with access of hop-bearing material throughthe space, b, as the rings are turned about the axis of theircylindrical support. As shown in the drawings the rolls, B, are placedwithin the rings, O. When said rolls are set in motion in the directionsindicated by the arrows in Figs. l and 5 and the hop-bearing material isintroduced endwise through the space, b, to and between the rolls, B,the action of the latter draws the bines, branches, stems, the., throughthe space, b, While the hops coming against the adjacent edges of therings which bound the sides of the space, o, are torn off or detachedand fall at the outer circumfer` ence of the rings. It will be noticedthat as thus arranged the stripping edges of the rings in theirmovements pass in front of the rolls in a plane or direction transverseor substantially so to that of the length of the rolls,-in other words,transverse to the line of gripping contact of said rolls as they operateto draw inward the hop-bearing material through the space, h. As saidmaterial is thus drawn through said space the gliding contact of saidedges of the rings as they pass with a sweeping movement past the frontor indrawing face of the rolls and transverse to their line of grippingcontact, exerts a Very efficient action in detaching the hops. By thismeans, also,I am enabled, as hereinafter more fully explained, to placea number of stripping mechanisms side by side for simultaneous use inone and the same machine so that a considerable number of separatedhopbearing branches, stems, zc., may be simultaneously stripped of theirhops, by being simultaneously drawn through the several strippingmechanisms by one and the same pair of drawing rolls. This arrangementalso, as hereinafter explained, permits the use in one and the sameapparatus, of multiple stripping mechanisms adaptedto different di-"ameters of hop-bearing branches, stems, 85o.,

and also the operation of such multiple stripping devices at differentrates of speed. Further, Iby this means, VI am enabled to place a ICOnumber of stripping mechanisms within a space of such lateral dimensionsas to permit a single operation to conveniently keep them supplied withhop-bearing material for their simultaneous use and operation.

The rings, C, being turned or revolved upon the cylinder as thehop-bearing material is passed through the space, h, the latter underordinary conditions tends to readily freeitself from hops which if thestripping edges were stationary would become wedged in it by the draftexerted upon the hops by the inward movement of the hop-bearingmaterial. To insure the clearing of the said space from any hops whichunder some conditions may resist this tendency of the space, h, to freeitself, there is provided a clearing device, e, which, at a pointsuitably remote from the rolls, extends into said space so that as therings are turned the inner edges of the rings are swept past the saiddevice and any hops which may have been retained or become wedgedbetween them are cleared or swept out by said device. By this means theedges of the rings where they come in contact with the'hops to strip thelatter from the hop-bearing material are kept always clear. In otherwords, the space, b, is kept unclogged to insure the effective operationof the parts in the separation of the hops from the hop-bearing material.

The clearing device, c, may be of any suitable construction and appliedin any suitable way, but as shown in the drawings it comprises a simplefixed sind or spur which projects into the space, b, at a point a littledistant from where the hop-bearing material is introduced through thesaid space to the drawing rolls. This stud or spur may be fixed to thecontiguous surface of the cylinder and project outward therefrom intothe space, b, as shown in Fig. l. The feeding movement of the rolls, andthe revoluble motion of the rings may be provided by any suitable means.Efficient mechanism for the purpose is hereinafter presently described.

To promote the more rapid and effective separation of the hops from thehop-bearing material as the latter is drawn through the space, b, thereis provided to each ring a projection, or series of projections, d, asillustrated in Figs. 4 and 5. These projections I term pickers andpreferably each ring has several of them as shown in the drawings. Thepicker, or pickers, on the one ring should coincide in position with thecorresponding picker or pickers on the other. The projections orpickers, d, may extend to any desired width across the faces of therespective rings. It is sufficient, however, if they form only a part ofsuch width, but their inner surfaces should be placed at the edges ofthe rings contiguous to the space, b, the space between two coincidentpickers of the two rings corresponding substantially to the width ofsaid space, in other words the said space being extended between thecoincident pickers.

These projections or pickers, d, may be ofy any desired or appropriateshape but are preferably of the angular form shown in Fig. 4, with theforward edge, h', of each at a less acute angle to the circumference ofthe ring which carries it than is its rear edge, a. The rings beingmoved across the lines of direction in which the hop-bearing material isdrawn inward by the rolls, as for example revolved in the direction ofthe curved arrow external thereto in Fig. 5, and the rolls, B, beingoperated as described to draw inward the hop-bearing material throughthe space, b, and consequently through the space existent betweencoincident pickers, d, of the two rings, it follows that the pickers atintervals in the rotation of the rings strike against the hops as theyare drawn toward the inner edges of the rings which bound the space, b,and this somewhat sudden impact of the pickers being in directioncontrary to or different from that in which the hop -bearing material isdrawn strikes or pushes the hops in said contrary direction. Thisdetaches the hops from the hop bearing material with a quicker and morepositive action than if their separation were wholly dependent upon theresistance offered by the edges of the rings t0 their passage throughthe space, b.

To prevent the clogging of the pickers, d, by the lodgment of hops,dac., in the space between opposite and coincident pickers a suit ableclearing device is provided to the pickers. This may be done byextending the device, c, as shown in Fig. 4, so that said pickers intheir movement pass upon opposite sides of said device with the resultof effectnally clearing the space between the pickers as they pass fromwhere the hop-bearing material is introduced to the drawing mechanism.To prevent the hop-bearing material from being carried around the axisof motion of the pickers, a stop, which may connect in the lower limitof the opening may be provided. This stop may, when desired, be constituted by the clearing device, c. After the hops have been detachedthe stripped bines, stems, branches, &c., pass out at the rear of thedrawing rolls to make their exit from the cylinder through the open endor ends of the latter.

It will be observed that the pickers, d, placed opposite each other withthe space, h, between them move across the indrawing face or front ofthe drawing rolls and consequently across and transversely, orsubstantially so, to the path or line of travel of the hop-bearingmaterial as the latter is drawn inward through the space, b, and thatthe pickers in their successive action brush or strike the hops from thesaid material in a direction opposite to that in which said material isdrawn by the drawing mechanism.

In practice the larger hop-bearing branches of the hop-plant are,ordinarily, torn from the bine. This leaves upon the torn ends of suchbranches large knot-like butts which are of greaterdiameter than thebranches proper. The greater size of these knotted ends or butts wouldrequire for their introduction to the drawing mechanism a width ofpassage-way inconsistent with the most effective separation of the hopsfrom the hop-bearing material when the latter is drawn through thestripping device or mechanism. To obviate the inconveniences arisingfrom such enlarged ends of hop-bearing branches I provide a cutter whichis maintained in operative motion in such connection with the strippingdevice or mechanism and with the drawing mechanism that such branchesprior to their introduction to the drawing and stripping device 0rmechanism may be placed in the path of the said cutter and thereby havetheir enlarged or knotted ends removed. This is done preferably in sucha manner that the knotted ends are severed with an oblique cut whichleaves the remaining ends of the branches of a wedge-like form whichpermits their easy insertion into and through the stripping device ormechanism and their convenient introduction to the drawing mechanism.The structure and character of this cutter and the means for operatingthe same may be varied within wide limits. Its preferred construction isshown at D in the drawings, Figs. 7

and 9, and comprises two blades, f, fast at their inner ends to arotatory shaft, g, which works in suitable bearings, h, located at anydesired part of the apparatus. Said shaft is provided with a pulley, t',to which motion is given through a band, 7c, from asimilar pulley, m, ona driving shaft, D, as shown in'Fig. 2. Below these blades is arest-,'rt, upon which the end of the branch may be placed to intersectthe path of the edges, 0.4, of the blades, f, in their rotation. Thisrest, n, should be oblique to the path in which the blades rotate, asshown in Fig. 8, so that the butt or knot at the end of the branch to besevered may be out off obliquely from the main length of the branch,leaving the end of the latter tapering or wedge-shaped to facilitate itsintroduction to and through the stripping and drawing mechanisms ashereinbefore explained. The severed knot or butt may be automaticallyswept out of the way by a flange, r, provided to the back of each bladeas shown in crosssection in Fig. 9, and-which by the continued rotationof the blades strikes the severed butt or knot immediately after it iscut off as described. The cutter is placed in any suitable position withreference to the stripping and drawing mechanisms. As shown in thedrawings it is supported upon a bracket,

D', intended to be attached at the end of the cylinder, A. When, ashereinafter set forth, more than one pair or system of rings is used,the respective spaces, b, thereof may be of dierent widths adapted tobines, stems, branches, dac., of different diameters. In such cases, itis convenient to have at one side of the machine a system of rings inwhich the space, b, is comparatively wide for 'the insertion of thelarger hop-bearing branches, &c., and the cutter may be arranged inclose proximity to and preferably somewhat to the right hand of, thesaid system. Vhen desired but one blade, f, instead of two may beemployed, or a greater number than two if desired, or any other suitableform or structure of cutter having'any appropriate motion may be used inlieu of one or more blades arranged for operation as described.

It frequently occurs in practica-especially with the small stems ofsingle clusters of hops, that the portion of the stem extending beyondthe hops is too short to reach from the outer surface of the strippingdevice or mechanism to the line of gripping contact of the drawingmechanism. To overcome any difficulty arising from this, I provide insuitable relation with the stripping and drawing mechanisms, an axiallyrevoluble knife, F, which is constructed and arranged to operate inconnection with the operative action of said mechanisms to shear off thehops from a sufficient length of the butt-end portion of the stem toenable said portion to be passed to the drawing mechanism andgraspedthereby to draw the stem through the stripping mechanism todetach the hops. This knife, as shown in the drawings, Figs. 9 and lO isin form a cylindrical tube which at its rear end is attached to arotatory shaft, S, which latter is carried in a bearing, c', provided tothe bracket, D', and which receives motion from the shaft, g, throughtwo bevel gears e', and,f, as shown in Fig. 8. The open front end ofthis knife is brought to a suitable cutting edge, f, so that when ahop-bearing stem is thrust endwise and butt-end first into and throughthe said open end of the knife, F, the stem is sheared longitudinally ofhops to a distance suflicient to provide an extent of denuded stem longenough to reach through the stripping device or mechanism to the drawingmechanism, as, for example, through the space, b, to the drawing rolls,B. The construction of this knife may be Varied within wide limits solong as it has an axial movement. Instead of being rotated by the gearsdescribed it may, when preferred, be driven or operated by any othersuitable means, and instead of being located in immediate connectionwith the cutter, D, it may be placed in any desired relation with regardto the stripping device or mechanism.

When more than one pair or system of rings is used in one machine thepair at one side ofthe latter may have its space, b, of less width thanthat (or those) at the other side, and may be thus more especiallyadapted to detach hops from hop-bearing stems of small diameter. In suchcase, the axially revoluble knife may be more conveniently located infront of such relatively narrow space,b, and preferably somewhat lowerthan the point at which the hop-bearing material is inserted into andthrough the said space.

To prevent the hand of the operator from IOO IIO

the operator with the cutting edge of the knife.

The rolls, B, and the rings, C, may be actuated by any suitable means.The devices shown in the drawings as arranged to afford a rotary orrevoluble movement to the rings are, however, ordinarily to be preferredfor that purpose. As concerns the rolls they also, may be operated byany suitable means. lt is preferred, however, that they be gearedtogether bypinions, a, fast upon their shafts, b, to insure theirsimultaneous and correspondent rotation. In the construction shown inthe drawings, to the shaft of one of the rolls is provided a sprocketwheel, c, which connects by a chain, d", with a sprocket wheel, e; buton the shaft, E, a suitable shaft and bevel and bevel pinions may beemployed in place of the chain and sprocket wheels when desired. Asconcerns the rings, B, each has upon its outer circumference a series ofteeth forming in effect a spur-wheel, g. Into these gear spur-wheels,h", fast upon a shaft,

j", which also carries a spur wheel, 7o, and

into this latter gear a spur-piuion, m, on the shaft, E, which latter,as hereinbefore mentioned, carries the pulley, m, from which through thcbelt, p, motion is transmitted to the cutter for severing the knottedends of hop-bearing material and to the knife, F. It will be seen thatthe speed of the stripping rings, C, and of the drawing rolls, B, may bereadily proportioned to each other and that the cutter, D, and theknife, F, may be run or operated simultaneously and in connection witheach other, and each, also, simultaneously and in connection with, theoperative motion of the rolls, and of the rolls and the rings.

When desired the apparatus may be operated by hand power applied to acrank provided, for example, to the shaft, E. It is desirable, however,that motive power be employed, but as the speed lof a useful motor isordinarily very much greater than that at which it is desirable, orordinarily practicable to operate the hop-picking mechanisms it isnecessary that means especially adapted to adjust the speed derived fromthe motor to that desired in the said mechanisms should be employed. Toaccomplish this in a practical and effective manner I provide a driv ingshaft, G, in suitable bearings upon a platform, H, the latter preferablymovable to permit the easy transfer of the apparatus from place toplace. This shaft is provided with a crank, a, or with any othersuitable means for connection with a motor or prime mover to rotate thesaid shaft. This driving shaft is, preferably, provided with a suitablebalance wheel which may be of any preferred size and proportions. Uponthe driving shaft, G, is a small bevel pinion, s, which gears into alarge bevel gear, A', on a shaft, B', which has at its opposite end aworm, C', which meshes with a worm wheel, D', on the shaft, E. Therelatively high speed given to the driving shaft, G, by the motor,(which latter may be of any suitable kind and, as just mentioned,connected with the driving shaft by any suitable means) is thus sloweddown to the relatively low and moderate speed in the rings and rolls,either or both, requisite to their convenient and proper operation.

When desired two or more pairs or systems of rings may be mounted sideby side, each pair with its own space, b. Fig. (5 shows an arrangementof two pairs of rings in such relation to each other, but, three, four,five, or more pairs may, when desired, be similarly included in oneapparatus. Where more than one pair is employed the length of thesupporting cylinder and of the drawing rolls is proportionatelyincreased. The system of gearing may, when desired, be modified in therelative proportions of its parts to drive the several pairs of rings atdiffering speeds.

Placed in front of the cylinder is a table, K, upon which thehop-bearing material may be laid convenient tothe operator preparatoryto" the operation of the stripping and drawing mechanisms, a space, K',being provided at the rear of the table to permit the picked orseparated hops to fall into any suitable receptaele placed below.

What I claim as my invention is- 1. rlhe combination with pickers, d,placed opposite each other with a space between them for the passage ofthe hop-bearing material and mechanism for drawing the said materialthrough said space, of means for giving motion to the pickers across thefront of the drawing mechanism and in a direction transverse, orpractically so, to the path of the material when drawn by the saidmechanism, substantially as herein set forth.

2. The combination with a cylindrical support, of pickers, d, placedopposite each other with a space between them for the passage of thehop-bearing material,of means for drawing the said material through saidspace, and mechanism for giving motion to said pickers about the axis ofsaid support and across the path of the hop-bearing material,substantially as herein set forth.

3. The combination with stripping devices provided with a space, l), forthe passage of the hop-bearing material, of rolls for drawing saidmaterial through said space to detach the hops, and mechanism for givingto said devices a sweeping movement past the indrawing face of saidrolls and transverse to their IOC) lineof gripping contact when inoperation, substa-ntially as hereinset forth.

4. The combination with stripping devices provided with a space, b, forthe passage of the hop-bearin g material, of rolls for drawing saidmaterial through said space to detach the hops, mechanism for giving tosaid devices a sweeping movement past the indrawing face of said rollsand transverse to their line of gripping contact when in operation, anda clearing device arranged to clear the said space during the saidmovement of the stripping devices, substantially-as herein set forth.

5. The combination with a cylindrical support, of rings movable aboutthe axis of said support and having between them a space for theinsertion of the hop-bearing material, and mechanism placed within saidrings for drawing said material through said space to detach the hops,substantially as herein set forth.

6. The combination with a cylindrical support, of rings movable aboutthe axis of said support and having between them a space for theinsertion of the hop-bearing material, mechanism placed within the saidrings for drawing the hop-bearing materialA through said space to detachthe hops, and a clearing device arranged to operate in said space toclear the same during the movement of the rings, substantially as hereinset forth.

7. The combination with a cylindrical support, of rings movable aboutthe axis of said support having between them a space for the insertionof the hop-bearing material and provided with projections to act aspickers in detaching the hops from the material as the latter is drawnthrough said space and mechanism placed within thesaid rings for thusdrawing the material through the space,sub stantially as herein setforth.

8. The combination with a cylindrical support, of revoluble rings havingbetween them a space for the insertion of the hop-bearing material andprovided with projections to act as pickers in detaching the hops'fromthe material as the latter is drawn through said space, mechanism placedwithin the said rings for thus drawing the material through the space,and a clearing device arranged to prevent the clogging of the pickers,substantially as herein described.

9. The combination with a hollow cylinder open or having an opening inits side, rings placed upon said cylinder, revoluble thereon and havingbetween them a space for theinsertion of the hop-bearing material, ofmechanism placed within said rings and cylinder at the open side of thelatter for drawing the said material through said space to detach thehops, substantially as herein set forth.

lO. The combination with a hollow cylinder open or having an opening inits side, of rings placed upon said cylinder, revoluble thereon andhaving a space between them for the insertion of the hop-bearingmaterial, mechanism placed within said rings and cylinder and at theopen side of the latter for drawing the said material through said spaceto detach the hops, and a stud or projection extended into the saidspace to clear the same during the movements of the rings,substantiallyas herein set forth.

ll. The combination with a hollow cylinder open or having an opening inits side, of rings revoluble upon said cylinder, having between themaspace for the insertion of the hop-bearing material, and provided withprojections to act as pickers in detaching the hops from the material asthe latter is drawn through said space, and rolls placed within saidrings and cylinder and at the open side of the latter to draw thematerial through the space, substantially as herein set forth.

12. The combination with a hollow cylinder open or having an opening initsside, of rings revoluble upon said cylinder, having between them aspace for the insertion of the hop-bearing material, and provided withprojections t0 act as pickers in detaching the hops as the material isdrawn through said space, rolls placed within said rings and cylinderand at the open side of the latter to draw the material through thespace, and a device arranged t0 clear the space by the revolution of therings, substantially as herein set forth.

13. The combination with a cylindrical support, of rings movable aboutthe axis of said support and having between them a space for theinsertion of the hop-bearing material, mechanism placed within saidrings for draw- ,ing said material through said space to detach thehops, and means connecting said rings and mechanism to operate the samein determinate unison with each other, substantially as herein setforth.

14. The combination with a hollow cylinder open or having an opening inits side, and rings revoluble upon said cylinder having between them aspace for the insertion of the hop-bearing material, and provided withprojections to act as pickers in detaching the hops as the material isdrawn through said space, of rolls placed within said rings and cylinderand at the open side of the latter to draw the material through thespace, and a system of gearing connecting the rings and rolls to operatethe same in determinate unison, substantially as herein set forth.

l5. The combination with a stripping mechanism and rolls for drawing thehop-bearing material to subject the same to the action of said mechanismof a cutter and means for maintaining the same in operative motionsimultaneous or substantially so with the operation of the said rolls toprovide for the removal of knotted ends of stems and consequent easyintroduction of the latter through said mechanism to the rolls,substantially as herein set forth.

16. The combination with astripping mechanism and drawing rolls forsubjecting the hop-bearing material tothe action of said mechanism, acutter, means for maintaining said cutter in operative motion`simultane- IXO ously or substantially so with the operation of the saidrolls, and a rest placed obliquely to the path of movement of saidknife, whereby the knotted butts of hop-bearing material may be cutobliquely to leave the same with atapering end fitted for convenientinsertion through the stripping mechanism to the rolls, substantially asdescribed.

17. The combination with astripping mechanism and drawing rolls fordrawing the hopbearing material through said mechanism, of a rotatorycutter, means for maintaining said cutter in operative motionsimultaneously or substantially so with the operation of said rolls, anda liauge provided to the said cutter to automatically discharge thesevered butts or ends, substantially as herein set forth.

1S. The combination with a stripping mechanism and rolls for drawing thehop-bearing material through said mechanism,ofa rotary cutter, means formaintaining said cutter in operative motion simultaneously orsubstantially so with the operation of said rolls, a rest placedobliquely to the path of movement of said cutter, to provide for anoblique cut upon the material to be severed, and a flange on the rear ofthe cutter to sweep away the severed butts or ends, substantially asherein set forth.

19. The combination with a stripping mechanism and drawing rolls forsubjecting the hop-bearing material to the action of said mechanism, ofan axially revoluble knife and means for rotating the saine inconnection with the operative action of the stripping mechanism and therolls to provide for the longitudinal shearing of short stems to enablethem to reach the rolls through the stripping mechanism, substantiallyas herein set forth.

20. The combination with a stripping mechanism and drawing rolls forsubjecting the hop-bearing material to the action of said mechanism todetach the hops, ot' a driving shaft and a motion-transmitting mechanismcomprising a Worm, Worm-wheel, and gears, and interposed between thedriving shaft and the rolls, whereby a relatively high-speed motor maybe used to afford a relatively low speed to the rolls in the operationof drawing the material through the stripping mcchanism, substantiallyas herein set forth.

2 l. The combination with a cylindrical su pport, rings revoluble uponsaid support and havnga space between them for the insertion of thehop-bearing material, and drawingrolls placed within said rings to drawthe material through said space to detach the hops, of a driving shaftand a motion-transmitting mechanism comprising a worm, Worm-Wheel andgears, arranged to convert a relatively high speed in the driving shaftinto a relatively low speed in the rings and rolls, substantially asherein set forth.

JAMES A. W HI'INEY.

Witnesses:

GEO. HARRISON MCADAM,

SYDNEY TAYLOR.

